On April 9, 2023, at about 9:44 p.m., Bertie County dispatch received a call reporting a male had been shot and was not breathing. Deputies went to a residence on NC 42 between Powellsville and Colerain, North Carolina, where 58-year-old Tony K. Watford was found dead of apparent gunshot wounds. A family member had arrived earlier to do a welfare check and discovered Watford’s body.

Early in the investigation, law enforcement identified Watford’s son, 25-year-old Mckenzie Raquez Watford, as the primary suspect and sought warrants charging him with first-degree murder and larceny of a dog. Authorities described him as armed and dangerous and asked anyone with information to contact the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office. After a months-long search, officers in Chesterfield, Virginia, arrested Mckenzie Watford on July 18, 2023; he was held there pending extradition to Bertie County.

The shooting and the arrest have had a deep effect on the Colerain community. If anyone knew Tony or has information about the events of April 9, please share what you know with investigators.